Total Ozone And 11 Year Solar Cycle Environmental Sciences Essay

The chief purpose of the present survey is to look into further into the association between entire ozone ( TOZ ) and 11-year solar rhythm ( SC ) , during the period 1979 – 2010 by using satellite observations of TOZ and impulse flux ( MF ) . A positive correlativity between the one-year mean entire ozone ( TOZ ) over both hemispheres and macula figure ( SN ) is found. On the contrary, concentrating on the January and February mean monthly TOZ fluctuations from the equator to the high latitudes, of the Northern Hemisphere no association between TOZ and SN is derived. It is attributed to the being of the quasi-biennial-oscillation ( QBO ) and the El Ni & A ; ntilde ; o-Southern oscillation ( ENSO ) in TOZ clip series, . However, when sing TOZ over the zonary agencies centred at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N and 27.5 & A ; deg ; N and SN during the old ages of the east stage of QBO in the equatorial zonary air current at 50hPa, a important correlativity between TOZ and SN reveals. These fi ndings are of important importance because solar radiation is a major driving force of the clime system. 1. Introduction Several surveies have shown that fluctuations in the 11-year solar irradiance and subsequent UV soaking up by ozone cause alterations in temperature and air current in the upper stratosphere ( Crooks and Gray, 2005 ; Alexandris et Al. 1999 ; Kondratyev and Varotsos 1996 ; Katsambas et Al. 1997 ) . These comparatively weak direct alterations could change the upward extension of planetary-scale moving ridges and lead to an indirect feedback on the lower ambiance through a alteration of the stratospheric mean circulation – Brewer- Dobson circulation ( Gernandt et al. 1995 ; Kodera and Kuroda, 2002 ; Tzanis and Varotsos, 2008 ; Cracknell and Varotsos 1994, 1995 ; Efstathiou et al. , 2003 ; Gernandt et al. , 1995 ; Varotsos, 2002, 2005 ; Varotsos et Al. 1994 ; Varotsos 1989, 2004 ) Matthes et Al. ( 2010 ) indicated that the one-year mean solar response in temperature and ozone in the upper stratosphere is in qualitative understanding with other mold and experimental surveies and does non depend on the presence of the imposed quasi-biennial oscillation ( QBO ) of equatorial air current. However, the solar response in the center to take down stratosphere differs significantly for the two QBO stages. During solar maxima a weaker Brewer-Dobson circulation with comparative downwelling, warming, and enhanced ozone occurs in the tropical lower stratosphere during QBO east conditions, while a stronger circulation, chilling, and decreased ozone exists during QBO west conditions. During QBO east, the combination of production and advection resulted in the net ozone addition, whereas during QBO west, the effects cancel each other and consequence in small net ozone alterations. Matthes et Al. ( 2010 ) showed besides that during Southern Hemisphere ( SH ) tardily winter to early spring, the solar response at polar latitudes switches mark between the two QBO stages and qualitatively confirms observations and other recent theoretical account surveies. Lu et Al. ( 2009 ) proposed some penetrations on the QBO modulated 11-year solar rhythm signals in Northern Hemisphere ( NH ) winter temperature and zonary air current. They used day-to-day ERA-40 Reanalysis and ECMWF Operational information for the period of 1958-2006 in order to analyze the seasonal development of the QBO-solar rhythm relationship at assorted force per unit area degrees up to the stratopause. The consequences showed that the solar signals in the NH winter extratropics are so QBO-phase dependant, traveling poleward and downward as winter progresses with a faster descent rate under westerly QBO than under eastern QBO. In the stratosphere, the signals seemed to be extremely important in late January to early March and have a life span of ?30-50 yearss. Under western QBO, the stratospheric solar signals clearly lead and connected to those in the troposphere in late March and early April where they have a life span of ?10 yearss. Sitnov ( 2009 ) utilizing entire ozone informations obtained in the period of 1957 – 2007 at 10 ground-based European Stationss, investigated the effects of the QBO and 11-year solar rhythm, attesting in entire column ozone. In this work, it was derived that solar activity modulates the stage of the QBO consequence so that the quasi-biennial entire ozone signals during solar upper limit and solar lower limit are about in opposite stage. It was besides demonstrated that stray under lasting conditions of solar lower limit or solar upper limit the QBO effects in entire ozone have the clip graduated table of about 20 months. Titova and Karol ( 2010 ) holding applied the method of discriminant analysis to the TOMS informations of satellite sounding of the entire ozone content ( TOC ) in the March months of 1979-2008, attempted to do a new estimation of the TOC field variableness in the Northern Hemisphere and inter-longitudinal regularities of its alterations under the action of climatic variableness. The effects of temperature fluctuations in the polar stratosphere, El Ni & A ; ntilde ; o -Southern Oscillation ( ENSO ) and QBO seemed to be comparable and make 80 DU in some parts. Titova and Karol ( 2010 ) besides proposed that the parts of TOC fluctuations and their location and dimensions change depending on the stages of QBO, AO, and ENSO. Three parts of increased TOC-over Europe, Eastern Siberia, and the Pacific Ocean-are formed in old ages with a warm stratosphere. A counterbalancing TOC lessening takes topographic point in the Torrid Zones and over Greenland. In the old ages of El Ni & A ; ntilde ; O and the eastern QBO stage, the TOC increases over Europe and drops over the cardinal Pacific, every bit good as to the South from 45 & A ; deg ; N. Ziemke et Al. ( 2010 ) established an ENSO index utilizing column ozone informations measured in tropical latitudes from Nimbus 7 TOMS, Earth Probe TOMS, NOAA SBUV, and Aura OMI orbiter instruments. This index, which covered a clip period from 1979 to the present, was defined as the Ozone ENSO Index ( OEI ) and it was the first developed from atmospheric hint gas measurings. OEI was constructed by first averaging monthly average column ozone over two wide parts in the western and eastern Pacific and taking their difference. The combined Aura OMI and MLS ozone informations confirmed that zonary variableness in entire column ozone in the Torrid Zones caused by ENSO events lies about wholly in the troposphere. As a consequence, OEI can be derived straight from entire column ozone alternatively of tropospheric column ozone. For clear-sky ozone measurements a +1 K alteration in Nino 3.4 index corresponds to +2.9DU ( Dobson Unit ) alteration in OEI, while a +1 hPa alteration in Southern Os cillation index coincides with a ?1.7DU alteration in the OEI. For ozone measurings under all cloud conditions these Numberss are +2.4DU and ?1.4DU, severally. Soukharev ( 1997 ) analyzing the monthly agencies of entire ozone, in months January to March between 1973 – 1995 on five Stationss in Northeastern Europe, indicated statistically important correlativities between the fluctuations of entire ozone in February and, partly, in March, and the SN during the different stages of QBO. Similar correspondence was established between the index of stratospheric circulation and SN sing the QBO stage. Based on the obtained correlativities between the interannual fluctuations of ozone and stratospheric circulation index, Soukharev concluded that a connexion between solar rhythm – QBO – ozone occurs through the kineticss of stratospheric circulation. Varotsos ( 1989 ) analyzing the planetary TOZ, during the period 1958-1984, suggested that there was non any apparent connexion between TOZ and 10.7 centimeter solar flux ( F10.7 ) . However, when the informations were separated harmonizing to the E or west stage of QBO in the equatorial stratosphere, it was derived that entire ozone was positively correlated ( anticorrelated ) with the solar rhythm, during the West ( east ) stage of QBO. The chief purpose of this work is to research farther the association between TOZ and solar activity, from the equator to the high latitudes in both Hemispheres over the last three solar rhythms.2. Datas and analysisQBO informations used in the present paper were calculated at the NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory-Physical Science Division ( NOAA/ESRL-PSD ) from the zonary norm of the 30mb zonary air current at the equator. Those informations were computed from the NCEP/NCAR Additionally, the average monthly macula Numberss ( SN ) derived from the datasets of the National Geophysical Data Center ( NGDC ) , during the period January 1749 – October 2009, were employed. TOZ informations set, was obtained from Nimbus-7, Meteor-3, and Earth Probe Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer ( TOMS ) and Ozone Monitoring Instrument ( OMI ) , covering the period 1979-2010 ( with measuring spreads for several months of the old ages 1994, 1995 and 1996 ) . Momentum Flux ( MF ) measurings between 45 & A ; deg ; N and 75 & A ; deg ; N, through 1979 – 2010, obtained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center, were besides used. Finally, Ozone ENSO index ( OEI ) measurings obtained by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration Goddard Space Flight Center, Code 613.3 Chemistry and Dynamics Branch, in the Torrid Zones during 1979 – 2010, were employed ( Ziemke et al. , 2010 ) . All clip series presented in this survey were normalized ( the long-run mean subtracted and so devided by the standard divergence ) and detrended.3. Discussion and ConsequencesSeveral surveies argued that when the solar UV radiation is stronger, more ozone via the photolysis of O2 would be formed in the upper stratosphere, so that the maximal ozone degree would happen at the maximal solar activity. Very late, Haigh et Al. ( 2010 ) have noticed that during the worsening stage of the most recent '11-year ‘ solar rhythm ( occurred during 2002-2009 ) there was a four to six times larger diminution in UV than would hold been predicted on the footing of our old apprehension. Haigh et Al. ( 2010 ) suggested that this decrease was partly compensated in the entire solar end product by an addition in radiation at seeable wavelengths. More unusually, they have besides showed that these spectral alterations appear to hold led to a important diminution from 2004 to 2007 in stratospheric ozo ne below an height of 45 kilometers, with an addition above this height. Therefore, it is interesting to re-visit the probe of the influence of the solar activity to the column ozone variableness on a planetary and hemispheric footing.3.1. The entire ozone and solar rhythm on a planetary and hemispheric footingAlong the lines above the 11-year solar rhythm and the TOZ one-year average fluctuations over the Earth, the NH and the SH, during the last solar rhythms are shown in Figure cubic decimeter ( a ) , ( B ) , ( degree Celsius ) , severally. Inspection of Figure 1 shows that an evident solar rhythm is outstanding in the TOZ information. To quantify this association the correlativity coefficients were calculated and derived statistically important ( at 95 % assurance degree ) by utilizing the non-parametric Spearman method. a ) B ) degree Celsiuss ) Figure 1. Annual average TOZ and macula figure ( as a placeholder for the 11-year solar rhythm ) over ( a ) the Earth, ( B ) the northern hemisphere, ( degree Celsius ) the southern hemisphere, during 1979 – 2010. TOZ and SN clip series have been normalized and detrended. This in-phase March of TOZ and solar activity is non surprising and it is rather consistent with the current apprehension about the solar forcing in TOZ kineticss. Harmonizing to this, the upper stratospheric ozone response ( 2-3 % between solar lower limit and solar upper limit ) is a direct radiative consequence of warming and photochemistry. The lower stratospheric solar rhythm in tropical ozone appears to be caused indirectly through a dynamical response to solar ultraviolet fluctuations. However, the beginning of such a dynamical response to the solar rhythm is non to the full understood ( WMO 2010 ) .3.2. The entire ozone on the wintertime Northern Hemisphere and solar rhythmTo acquire a better apprehension of the afore-mentioned dynamical TOZ response, the probe of the plausible relationship between TOZ and solar activity would be performed at the wintertime government of the ambiance. Of class, during winter months, the solar rhythm signal is weak compared to big atmospheric fluctuations and the signal is hence more hard to pull out ( Labitzke and new wave Loon, 1988 ) . In an effort to farther research this job, the fluctuations of the average TOZ over the NH during January/February and the corresponding SN values during the period 1979 – 2010 are plotted in Figure 2 ( a ) . a ) B ) Figure 2. ( a ) ( Jan+Feb ) /2 TOZ and SN over the northern hemisphere, during 1979 – 2010. ( B ) The running correlativities ( Rhode Island ) for twelvemonth I between the equatorial zonary air current at 50 hPa and the average TOZ for January and February. TOZ and SN clip series have been normalized and detrended. The decision drawn from Figure 1 ( a ) is that a quasi-periodic constituent ( 2- 4 year ) in the Northern Hemispheric TOZ clip series reduces unusually the above mentioned correlativity between TOZ and SN fluctuations. To look into whether this taint of the association of the TOZ and SN fluctuations by the QBO is a map of the solar activity the method of running correlativities was employed ( Kodera ( 1993 ) . The consequences obtained are shown in Figure 2 ( B ) where the running correlativities ( Rhode Island ) for twelvemonth I between the equatorial zonary air current at 50 hPa and the average TOZ for January and February do non demo an 11-y signal ( figure 2b ) . Therefore, the above-said taint by the QBO of equatorial air current, is independent of the solar rhythm, upseting any evident association between TOZ and SN.3.3. The latitudinal dependance of the association between the wintertime TOZ and solar rhythm at the Northern HemisphereNext, the probe of the possible associatio n between the TOZ and SN is explored as a map of latitude. In this respect, Haigh ( 1994 ) have reported that due to the seasonality, the stratospheric ozone alterations due to solar flux fluctuation are largest at center to high latitudes in the winter hemisphere. Figure 3 ( a-f ) present the January / February mean TOZ and SN from the equator to the high latitudes, during 1979 – 2010. All these figures do non demo any evident correlativity between TOZ and solar activity, due to the taint by the quasi-periodic oscillations ( QBO and ENSO ) in the TOZ clip series. a ) B ) degree Celsiuss ) vitamin E ) vitamin D ) degree Fahrenheit ) Figure 3. ( Jan+Feb ) /2 TOZ and SN at ( a ) 7.5 & A ; deg ; N, ( B ) 17.5 & A ; deg ; N, ( degree Celsius ) 27.5 & A ; deg ; N, ( vitamin D ) 37.5 & A ; deg ; N, ( vitamin E ) 47.5 & A ; deg ; N, ( degree Fahrenheit ) 57.5 & A ; deg ; N, during 1979 – 2010. All clip series have been normalized and detrended. However, the solar response in the winter entire ozone at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N and 27.5 & A ; deg ; N seemed to differ significantly under the two QBO stages. Other surveies have besides identified solar influences on the strength and extent of the Walker circulation, that is a cell circulation in the zonal and perpendicular waies in the tropical troposphere caused by differences in heat distribution between ocean and land. Meehl et Al. ( 2008 ) and vanLoon et Al. ( 2007 ) showed a strengthening of the Walker circulation, at peak old ages of the 11-year solar rhythm, It should be reminded that when the Walker cell weakens or contraries, an El Ni & A ; ntilde ; o consequences, and when Walker cell becomes strong causes a La Ni & A ; ntilde ; a.3.4. The association between the wintertime TOZ and solar rhythm at the Northern tropics ; the function of the QBO and ENSOIn the followers, the January and February mean TOZ and SN informations were grouped harmonizing to the QBO stages of the equatorial zonary air current at 50hPa and were plotted against the OEI at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N and 27.5 & A ; deg ; N ( figure 4a-d ) . During the west stage of QBO, a statistically important anticorrelation between TOZ and OEI clip series is evident, ensuing in a quasi periodic constituent that coincides with ENSO ( Ziemke et al. 2010 ) and causes no correlativity between TOZ and SN. On the other manus, during the east stage of QBO, TOZ clip series exhibits the 11-year signal. a ) B ) degree Celsiuss ) vitamin D ) Figure 4. ( Jan+Feb ) /2 TOZ and SN at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N during ( a ) the west stage of QBO and ( B ) the east stage of QBO. ( Jan+Feb ) /2 TOZ and SN at 27.5 & A ; deg ; N during ( degree Celsius ) the west stage of QBO and ( vitamin D ) the east stage of QBO. The dotted lines present the OEI through 1979 – 2010 in the West and east stages of QBO. All clip series have been normalized and detrended. In the undermentioned, figure 5 ( a ) presents the February mean TOZ and SN at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N, during 1979-2010, while figures 5 ( B ) , ( degree Celsius ) show the February TOZ and macula figure when the informations were grouped in the West and east stage of QBO, severally. Inspection of these figures shows an evident correlativity between TOZ and the 11-year solar rhythm, during QBO east ( statistically important correlativity at 95 % assurance degree ) . The ENSO constituent is noticeable one time more in the TOZ clip series when the informations were grouped in the west stage of QBO and is anticorrelated with OEI ( figure 5 ( B ) ) . B ) a ) degree Celsiuss ) Figure 5. February average TOZ and SN at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N, through 1979-2010 ( a ) independently of the QBO stages, ( B ) for the western stages of QBO and ( degree Celsius ) for the eastern stages of QBO. The thin line with the symbol ten, in ( a ) , corresponds to the smoothened clip series of the February mean TOZ. All clip series have been normalized and detrended. a ) B ) Figure 6. ( a ) February mean TOZ at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N against equatorial zonary air current at 50hPa, ( B ) temporal development of QBO upper limit and lower limit, during 1979 – 2010. All clip series have been normalized and detrended. To analyze farther the part of the QBO in the equatorial zonary air current at 50 hPa to the association between the February TOZ at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N and OEI the figure 6 ( a ) is shown.. Figure 6a shows the statistically important anticorrelation between OEI and TOZ, but no any association of TOZ with QBO. The latter can likely be explained by the fact that TOZ exhibits OEI and it is modulated by the temporal development of QBO upper limit and lower limit. To give an penetration to it Figure 6 ( B ) depicts the temporal development of the difference between consecutive QBO upper limit and [ ( soap ( i+1 ) – soap ( I ) ] and the temporal development of the difference between consecutive QBO lower limit [ min ( i+1 ) – min ( I ) ] for twelvemonth ( I ) . Both the differences in the consecutive upper limit and the differences in the consecutive lower limit of QBO demonstrate the ENSO signal.3.5. The association between the wintertime TOZ and solar rhythm at the Northern high latitudes ; the function of the QBO and ENSOFinally, in order to research the function of the atmospheric kineticss to the relationship between the TOZ and solar rhythm the interannual variableness of the February mean impulse flux ( MF ) between 45 & A ; deg ; N and 75 & A ; deg ; N at 50hPa, during 1979 – 2010 was studied. , . Figure 7 ( a ) depicts the clip series of MF and SN for February, while figures 7b, degree Celsius show the impulse flux and macula figure when the informations were grouped harmonizing to the QBO stage. Harmonizing to Figure 1 ( degree Celsius ) , during the old ages of the east stage of QBO an evident anticorrelation between MF and the 11-year solar rhythm is observed. A plausible account is the fact that in winter months, the polar whirl is sensitive to equatorial air current. In this context, Salby and Callaghan ( 2000 ) have found that alterations in the polar-night whirl are consistent with the solar signature observed in wintertime record s of polar temperature that have been stratified harmonizing to the QBO of equatorial air current. B ) a ) degree Celsiuss ) Figure 7. February average MF and SN between 45 & A ; deg ; N and 75 & A ; deg ; N, through 1979-2010 ( a ) independently of the QBO stages, ( B ) for the western stages of QBO and ( degree Celsius ) for the eastern stages of QBO. All clip series have been normalized and detrended. Another decision drawn from Figure 7 is that the increased dynamical variableness occurs during the west stage of the equatorial QBO and the winter whirl is significantly weakened during solar upper limit and western stage of the quasi-biennial oscillation.4. DecisionsIn this survey, a statistically important correlativity was derived between the one-year mean TOZ and SN over the Earth, the northern and the southern hemisphere, through 1979 – 2010. The evident 11-year signals in TOZ were obtained without any grouping of ozone informations harmonizing to the QBO stages of equatorial air current. Furthermore, sing the January and February mean TOZ and SN over the NH, an obvious quasi-periodic constituent was seen in the TOZ clip series, cut downing perceptibly the above mentioned correlativity between TOZ and 11-year solar rhythm. No evident correlativity was besides derived analyzing the January and February mean TOZ and SN from the equator to the high latitudes, due to the qua si-periodic constituent in the TOZ clip series, caused likely by the quasi-periodic oscillations. Concentrating on the January and February mean TOZ and SN at 17.5 & A ; deg ; N and 27.5 & A ; deg ; N, TOZ clip series revealed an 11-year signal during the eastern QBO stages and an ENSO signal during the western QBO stages. The correlativity between TOZ and the 11-year solar rhythm, in the east stage of QBO becomes higher for February. Finally, analyzing the February mean MF between 45 & A ; deg ; N and 75 & A ; deg ; N at 50hPa, during 1979 – 2010, eastern stages of QBO seemed to do an obvious anticorrelation between MF and the 11-year solar rhythm.

DOMA Ruling

Last week was a huge week for our supreme court. There were a couple really important rulings. There was the University of Texas Vs. Fisher, which argued race when accepting students into their school. There was also a voting rights act ruling as well. The one that stuck out most to me was the court’s decision on DOMA. DOMA stands for â€Å"defense of marriage act. † It was signed by President Bill Clinton in 1996 to prevent same-sex couples whose marriages were recognized by their home state from receiving benefits available to other married couples under federal law. DOMA caused the federal government to not recognize gay marriages. This meant gay and lesbian partners of federal employees did not receive federal health insurance, social security or any of the other benefits given to the spouses of heterosexual employees. DOMA was voted unconstitutional last week by a 5-4 vote. If you are married legally in a state that recognizes same-sex marriage you can now receive federal benefits. President Barack Obama released a statement celebrating the decision. This was discrimination enshrined in law. It treated loving, committed gay and lesbian couples as a separate and lesser class of people. The Supreme Court has righted that wrong, and our country is better off for it,† (DOMA Unconstitutional) I think that this ruling will affect our country in the future. I personally agree with this ruling and think that couples in same sex marriages should have the same benefits as couples that are not. This ruling is only in effect for states that have sam e sex marriages. I think that soon however more states will allow gay marriages than before. I believe that it is a small stepping stone in the gay rights movement and our country is definitely on its way to making even more changes. I believe that everyone should be treated equally no matter who they love. Same sex couples (In legal states of course) are now eligible for many of the health, pension, and other spousal benefits that used to be only guaranteed to the spouses of heterosexual federal workers.

Final Exam Blue Print Essay

Gowns: prevent soiling clothing during contact with patient Masks: should be worn when you anticipate splash or spray of blood or body fluid and satisfy droplet/airborne precautions. Protective eyewear: should be worn for procedures that generate splashes or splatters Gloves: prevent the transmission of pathogens by direct/indirect contact. This equipment protects you from waste materials such as wounds, blood, stool, and urine. Indwelling urinary catheters – causes of risk for infections An indwelling urinary catheter obstructs the normal flushing action of urine flow. The presence of a catheter in the urethra breaches the natural defenses of the body. Reflux of microorganisms up the catheter lumen from the drainage bag or backflow of urine in the tubing increases the risk of infection. Surgical asepsis uses verse medical asepsis Surgical asepsis is used during procedures that require intentional perforation of patient’s skin, when skin’s integrity is broken, or during procedures that involve insertion of catheters. * Sterile objects remains sterile only when touched by another sterile object * Place only sterile objects on sterile field * Sterile object/field out of the range of vision or held below waist is contaminated * Sterile object/field becomes contaminated by prolonged exposure to air. * When sterile surface comes in contact with a wet, contaminated surface, the sterile object/field becomes contaminated by capillary action * Sterile object becomes contaminated if gravity causes contaminated fluid to flow over the objects surface * The edges of sterile field/container are considered to be contaminated. Medical asepsis, or clean technique, includes procedures for reducing the number of organisms present and preventing the transfer of organisms. Hand hygiene, barrier techniques, and routine environmental cleaning are examples of medical asepsis. Nursing intervention when assessing bradycardia radial pulse Can cause pulse deficit. To assess a pulse deficit 2 nurses are needed to assess radial and apical pulse simultaneously and compare rates. The difference between apical and radial pulse is the pulse deficit. Assess the ability of the heart to meet the demands of body tissue for nutrients by palpation a peripheral pulse or using a stethoscope to listen to heart sounds (apical rate) Pulse sites Temporal, carotid, apical, brachial, radial, ulnar, femoral, popliteal, posterior tibial, Dorsalis pedis Critical Thinking- chapter 15 Examples of application of critical thinking (you may have to scan the chapter, no specific section to apply to the question) Know what would be considered critical thinking * Critical thinking involves recognizing that an issue exists, analyzing information about the issue, evaluating information, and making conclusions. * Critical thinking is a continuous process characterized by open-mindedness, continual inquiry, and perseverance. * Diagnostic reasoning: determining a patient’s health status after you have assigned meaning to the behaviors and symptoms presented. * Inference: process of drawing conclusions from related pieces of evidence. * Clinical decision making: careful reasoning so the best options are chosen for the best outcomes. * Nursing process: five-step clinical decision-making approach. Five components of critical thinking. * Knowledge base * Experience * Critical thinking competencies * Attitudes * Standards Professional standard for critical thinking * Intellectual: the intellectual standard is a guideline or principle for rational thought. * Professional: the professional standard refers to evidence-based ethical criteria for nursing judgments used for evaluation and criteria for professional responsibility. Patient Safety- chapter 27 Patient safety during seizures * Seizure precautions encompass all nursing interventions to protect the patient from traumatic injury, position for adequate ventilation and drainage of oral secretions, and provide privacy and support following the seizure. * Seizure precautions are nursing interventions to protect patient from traumatic injury, positioning for adequate ventilation and drainage/oral secretions, and providing privacy and support after event. Fall risk prevention and interventions The plan for a patient who has high risk for falls. 1. Select nursing interventions to promote safety according to patient’s developmental and health care needs. 2. Consult with OT and PT for assistive devices 3. Select interventions that will improve the safety of patients home environment Interventions * Nursing interventions for promoting safety are individualized for patients’ developmental stage, lifestyle, and environment. * Note the safety locks and anti-tip bars on the wheelchair. * Nurses contribute to a safer environment by helping patients meet basic needs related to oxygen, nutrition, and temperature. * Adequate lighting and security measures in and around the home, including the use of nightlights, exterior lighting, and locks on windows and doors, enable patients to reduce the risk of injury from crime. * Modifications in the environment will easily reduce the risk of falls. To reduce the risk of injury in the home, remove all obstacles from halls and other heavily traveled areas. * Prevention of accidental fires and poisons requires awareness of precautions such as not smoking in bed and keeping hazardous substances out of reach of children. * Safety bars provide excellent prevention against falls. Safety risk-Risk at developmental stages * Children younger than 5 years of age are at greatest risk for home accidents that result in severe injury and death. * The school-aged child is at risk for injury at home, at school, and while traveling to and from school. * Adolescents are at risk for injury from automobile accidents, suicide, and substance abuse. * Threats to an adult’s safety are frequently associated with lifestyle habits (smoking, drinking, hazardous work, etc.). * Risks for injury for older patients are directly related to the physiological changes of the aging process. Risk * 16-19 : car accident * 75 and up: falls and car accident * Older adults have decreased vision acuity and hearing loss making them at risk for MVA and hearing sirens or horns. Decrease reflexes occur with aging. * Lead can be in paint, soil, water and can be inhaled or swallowed. * 64 years and older; decreased vision, orthostatic hypotension, gait and balance problems, urinary incontinence, use of walking aids, effects of various medications (sedatives, anticonvulsants, hypnotics, analgesics. * Falls occur due to inadequate lighting, barriers along walk paths and stairways, and lack of safety devices in home. * Patients most at risk of injury are those with bleeding tendencies (disease or medications), and osteoporosis (results in fractures). Every developmental age involves specific safety risks: * Children younger than 5 years of age are at greatest risk for home accidents that result in severe injury and death. * The school-aged child is at risk for injury at home, at school, and while traveling to and from school. * Adolescents are at risk for injury from automobile accidents, suicide, and substance abuse. * Threats to an adult’s safety are frequently associated with lifestyle habits (smoking, drinking, hazardous work, etc.). * Risks for injury for older patients are directly related to the physiological changes of the aging process. Priority planning patient care (this is using your critical thinking skills and wouldn’t be found in a section of the book) * In many situations, patients present with multiple nursing diagnoses. Use a concept map to visualize how nursing diagnoses interrelate. * Establish goals with the patient’s self-care abilities and resources in mind, and focus on maintaining or improving the condition of the skin and oral cavity. * Patient’s skin is clean, dry, and intact without signs of inflammation. * Patient’s skin remains elastic and well hydrated. * Patient’s skin is free from areas of pressure. * Timing is also important in planning hygiene care. * In hospital or extended care settings, work closely with nursing assistive personnel, who often provide hygiene care. * Collaborate with other health team members as indicated (e.g., work with physical therapy and occupational therapy to enhance the patient’s independence with self-care activities). * When a patient needs assistance as a result of a self-care limitation, the family often becomes a valuable resource to the nurse an d helps with hygiene measures.

Public employment law Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Public employment law - Assignment Example superintendent in informing or misinforming the districts taxpayers in the school of the reasons for not seeking additional revenue in the form of tax (Haynes, 2003). The boards’ position on the issue was that the contents of the letter were fabricated thus leading to the dismissal of Mr. Pickering from the teaching staff. The teacher appealed the decision on the basis of a violation of his rights as represented in the first and the fourteenth amendments that gave the teacher the right to speak out as a loyal citizen on any issue of public interest. Both the Will County Circuit Court and the Illinois Supreme Court after analyzing the issue affirmed the Board’s decision to dismiss the teacher. Only the U.S Supreme court found reasonable ground to overturn the dismissal based on a violation of the freedom of speech as made possible by the First Amendment (Haynes, 2003). A keen analysis of the issues surrounding this case reveals various flaws and rationality depending on the perspective one views it. For instance, if it were considered from the aspect that Mr. Pickering was a citizen of the United States, then, he was acting within his legal limits by commenting on the conduct of the Educational Board. Such issues as he rose are by all means of great public interests since they constitute mismanagement of funds. However, the most logical way to view this issue is perhaps that of the First Amendment. Mr. Pickering was justified in claiming that his right of expression was maybe violated. He has reasonable grounds to argue so since, after all, all citizens are protected in their speech. What Mr. Pickering did not consider was probably the facts also enshrined in the First Amendment under which this freedom of speech is not guaranteed and which it can actually be regarded as an abuse of the rights bestowed on an individual. This is the view that the law holds in as far as employment law is concerned (Haynes, 2003). While the constitution protects Mr. Pickering

Economics Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Economics - Coursework Example ‘Much of the competition between these oligopolistic firms is usually in terms of marketing of their particular brand’ (Sloman, pp. 197-198 2008), although the marketing techniques may differ considerably from one industry to another. There is a huge deal of interdependence between firms in an oligopoly. The abstract tells us that they have power in many ways in terms of regulating prices and agreements. The decisions made by the rivals will affect each firm. Firms, hence affecting their decisions recognize this interdependence (Sloman, pp. 197-198 2008). 2) Explain two reasons for your answer in question 1? It is an understanding that the type of the market structure is oligopolistic because of the fact that a few numbers of firms have a larger share of the market. In addition, when there are collusions as in the above case, so it shows that the type of market structure is oligopolistic. In addition, all the six companies mentioned do not always compete aggressively (Bi anco, 2011). It has been an observation that the companies have merged/collusion, which is done only in cases of an oligopoly where there are a few number of firms and they have a considerable, share in the market. It shows that ‘the policies of each company greatly influence those of the other firms, because of the few sellers present’ (World Book, Inc, pp. 735, 2007). 3) What are the 6 Firm concentration ratios for the global pesticide industry? The global pesticide industry (Swanson, pp. 52-59, 2002) is expected to have a larger ratio in the market because there are these 6 large firms only which have an edge over the market. It is expected that they will have a monopoly due the collusions that have taken place. This will result in an extensive market share (Leiberman, pp. 23-25, 2007). 4) What is meant by a cartel? Cartel is a form of collusion. There are other type of collusions like the horizontal and the vertical collusion, and the joint product development (Worl d Book, Inc, pp. 251, 2007). It is an association that is formed by various producers of a particular industry to control the market for their product. By restricting the available supply, the selling price is usually raised in a cartel. Usually, a cartel consists of privately owned companies in one country or another. Some governments may also form a cartel. In order to succeed, a cartel should be having a few members. However, the cartel must include all or most of the producers in a country to have monopoly in the product. It is necessary for the product to have less substitutes and it is favorable of the product is scarce (World Book, Inc, pp. 240-242, 2007). Like the case of chemical industry in an agriculture market. In a cartel, the selling price of a product is usually set at a higher price. In order to obtain this higher price, the cartel limits the output that is expected of each member, hence assigning each member a share of the market. There is a high probability for the cartel to fail if a large number of members cheat on these arrangements (World Book, Inc, pp. 252, 2007). 5) Give two features of the collusions by the companies There are explicit collusions and tacit collusions. In explicit collusion, it is the easiest way for firms to ensure that all the profit maximizing output will be in maintenance. Such

Advantages and Limitations of Traditional Research and Action Research Essay - 1

Advantages and Limitations of Traditional Research and Action Research - Essay Example This is very necessary as teachers strive to align the learning experience with technological evolution in the digital era. The use of technology standards (NETS) for teachers would be very appropriate for an action research study. This is on the grounds that one of the center standards of NETS is that instructors ought to have the capacity to outline, create, and evaluate genuine learning and educating encounters. Subsequently, assessments that join contemporary mechanical devices and assets is valuable (Smaldino, Lowther, & Russell, 2012). Thus, the results of an action research study will provide teachers with invaluable insight on planning and adjust the applicable learning encounters that use computerized assets and devices in advancing understudy innovativeness and learning. It will also enable the teachers to develop technology-based learning background (Smaldino, Lowther & Russell, 2012). Students will also be enabled to cope with their education skill and assess their progress. The study will also dwell on how teachers can focus on different learning activities. Finally, a research on the techno logy standards will enlighten teachers on ways of giving their understudies changed and different summative and developmental evaluations. These are the one adjusted to mechanical and substance gauges, and apply the ensuing data to educate the showing and learning methodology. One of the external decisions that greatly affected my classroom practice was the introduction of high stakes tests, as well as a grading policy by the head of the department. The directive stipulated that teachers were expected to conform to standardized rubric assessment criteria in all subjects. I considered this decision as inappropriate and one that would affect teaching practice in a negative way.

HRM of Tesco and Sainsbury Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

HRM of Tesco and Sainsbury - Case Study Example The top managers are the ones who make the most crucial decisions of the organisation. The workers and the customers have no say in the decision making process. The writer now looks at the ways that the workers of these two organisations are motivated by the human resource personnel. This will help the writer in identifying the weaknesses and strengths of each motivation procedure. This is very important considering the fact that the business that the writer wants to embark on will be in the line of these two organisations. Tesco and Sainsbury are the competitors that the writer's grocery store will be up against. In this light, it becomes very important to study the dynamics of two organisations that are at extremes; one a success while the other can be described as a kind of a failure. The writer will examine the motivation that the Tesco management uses on their workers to motivate them to be one of the best in the industry. He will also embarking on checking why Sainsbury workers are not as motivated. At the end of the examination, the writer will have a very good idea of how to motivate his workers. He will combine the best aspects of these two different giants while avoiding or modifying the places that the two had gone wrong. The first task will be to examine the motivation theories that the two sets of managers use to motivate their workers. The strengths and weaknesses of both will be noted. This will be made possible by an examination of the leadership styles employed by the two companies. The second task will be to identify the structure, nature and functioning of groups within the organisations. This is because groups and group dynamics is very important to the operations of an organisation. The writer will note the opportunities and threats that these groups and how they are handled poses to the organisations. Lastly, the impacts of the technology on the functioning of the groups will also be examined. Task 1: An Examination of Motivational Theories in Leadership within Sainsbury and Tesco Companies There are many leadership styles as there are leaders. The style that a particular leader opts to employ will depend on his personality, believes and convictions and also the situation under which he is operating. The type of leadership employed is very important since it is going to determine the fate of the organization: whether it will succeed or not. The different forms of leadership styles that are employed by different managers in motivating their staff account for the varying performance that is found between two or more organizations that employ different approaches to leadership. And this explains the different picture that is Tesco chain of stores and Sainsbury, both in Europe. They are both giants, as far as retail market share is concerned. But Sainsbury is more of a small giant in comparison with Tesco. The latter is the market leader in U.K. But Sainsbury comes a distant third, after Asda. It is not far fetched to claim that the difference between the two performances h as been partly as a result of the different leadership styles that are employed by their leaders in motivating their employees. Task 1a: Leadership Style in Tesco and Sainsbury Tesco The word leadership in Tesco's context brings to mind the leadership style that is practiced by Sir Terry Leahy (Heller: 2005). This is the chief executive who has been on the helm of this giant since 1997 (Heller: 2005). Under his

H&M KEY ISSUE Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

H&M KEY ISSUE - Research Paper Example This is because maintaining this balance in the present truly competitive times translates into gaining a competitive edge over rival companies. Every successful company has its share of problems, but success is sustained only after finding answers to those problems. H&M is no different in the sense that the organization gets its fair share of problems related to fast growth. H&M’s rate of success and growth is considered dazzling in nature. Research proves that stores like Hennes and Mauritz (H&M) â€Å"have grown to become the largest apparel retailers in the world† (Caro & Mart ´Ã„ ±nez-de-Alb ´eniz, 2014). Fast growth has helped H&M strike a chord with a broad range of consumers from diverse backgrounds. However on the other hand, this has also been a real source of tension for the company from a management perspective. H&M is known globally as a fast fashion giant due to fast growth which is a good thing, but also this has brought the brand’s social resp onsibility under increased scrutiny (Caro & Mart ´Ã„ ±nez-de-Alb ´eniz, 2014). Fast growth also lays emphasis on accelerating the production phase. Growing fast in a safe manner without speeding up the production phase is impossible. This is why H&M has also encountered challenges in the area of getting products reach different stores in different parts of the world as soon as possible. Making delivery in a short time is important to deliver real value to customers. But, ensuring such a thing when there are so many international stores to look after can be understandably daunting. This is why H&M began to invest more wisely in the department of operational agility (Caro & Mart ´Ã„ ±nez-de-Alb ´eniz, 2014). Operational agility helps to ensure quick response or QR which was missing in the way H&M operated. In the absence of QR, there are increased pressures on suppliers which readily damages â€Å"overall retailer and supply chain

Project 2 plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Project 2 plan - Essay Example The second form is filled in by the investigating officer and comprises of stating the corrective action taken and the medical treatment administered. Conducting the investigation follows five phases; preparing for the investigation where the report of the accident is submitted, gathering evidence and information which can be executed by using digital photographs to extract evidence like camera matching, photogrammetry and rectification. It can also be done by interviewing witnesses for example by using the indirect conversational approach where the witness talks freely about the incident or through questioning the witness based upon his responses. The third phase is analyzing the data which attempts to understand the accident based on the available data collected. Various techniques are used like fault tree, failure modes and effects analysis, cause-consequence analysis and simulation. The fourth phase is discussion of the analysis and conclusion which involves documentation of the accident based on the understanding from the available data. The last phase is recommendations whereby specific advice is given on how to evade reoccu rrence of the accident based upon the investigation

Debreifing Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Debreifing - Research Proposal Example Data backup and system documentation had not been addressed (Schmidt, Erek, Kolbe & Zarnekow, 2009). Communication channels in the company were poor thus retrieving information from responsible persons was impossible. â€Å"Lassiter was finding it very difficult to gain information from Kovecki on the progress and status of the system conversion† (Midsouth chamber of commerce, n.d.). A person who clearly understands the roles to be undertaken must head each section/department. Information technology department had to employ a full-time staff with experience in membership organizations and experience on the accounting software to ensure full running of the new system. Simon Kovecki was employed but lacked experience in membership organizations and the accounting software. He wasted a couple of months in learning how the organization operates and training himself on how to use the system. All systems must contain documentation to ensure ease of use (Schmidt, Erek, Kolbe & Zarnekow, 2009). Decision-making role must be well defined to ensure decision pertaining the company is made at the right time; immediately. A specific department to avoid role duplication should do purchasing. UNITRACK software is the best since it is powerful and can handle the matters of the MSCC Company even during its growth. The software is user-friendly and cheap. UNITRAK software firm could have been given chance to install the software and train all the employees as this could have cut cost on training and relieve Kovecki the computer analyst from the training job to handle other system affairs of the company like interviews. Implementation cost could have been cut off since UNITRAK would have done this free of charge (Schmidt, Erek, Kolbe & Zarnekow, 2009). Information technology systems are always complex and need expertise to use. Transforming from the old system to new system (target system) is challenging. Before actual

Project 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Project 2 - Essay Example alue and the book can be utilized to witness the beginnings of the business of running a church, while ascertaining fundamental principles that remain solid concepts in the current administration of church funds. The terms of success within the financial development of a church is based on sound money management principles. McGarrah lists â€Å"Honest payment of all bills and obligations incurred† [2] as the first responsibility in administering the finances of a church. Using this tenant as a basis on which to make decisions about how funds will be used allows for the church to be a solid representation of what is honest and good. Arranging for goods and services to be given in donation should be done before jobs are completed or goods are delivered. To accept an obligation without the intent to make good on the contractual promise creates a poor example to the community and diminishes efforts towards the community in bringing members into the church. As in all things, however the church conducts itself and the way in which it develops relationships is _____________________________________________________________________ Another issue that McGarrah addresses is the issue of the salaries the church pays to the pastor and other employees who operate the church. McGarrah suggests that to pay a pastor a â€Å"starvation salary†[3] is unacceptable and will also reflect poorly on the reputation of the church. A poor reflection will also result from improper allocation to budgets. If budgets are not large enough to meet the needs of the objects of those budgets, then programs and projects will suffer allowing the appearance of inadequate management of the church funds. It is a harsh truth that a church needs money, just like any other organization, in order to grow and provide ministering nourishment to its flock. McGarrah says that â€Å"History shows that churches which have persistently belittled stewardship and finances, which have not used money in their

Family seperation Essay Example for Free

Family seperation Essay Although in this scene they annoy the teacher Linda doesnt dream of swearing at the teacher and finds it hard to call the teacher a name, she stutters and comes out with you big worm but in Edwards scene in a polite manner he swears at the teacher have all the courage this is ironic. The problem of staging various locations: Me and my group acted out pg 47 which showed different locations. Mrs Johnstone begins with talking about children including her son she is narrating this. And then once she has finished the scene cuts and goes straight into Mrs Lyons teaching Edward to dance. Because these scenes where so close together as a group we decided that for this to be effective we would have the whole scene with a blackout with only a spotlight on Mrs Johnstone and Mickey first. Then After Mrs Johnstone and Mickey finish talking we would immediately change the spotlight to Mrs Lyons and Edward. By doing this make the scene a lot more effective than having to walk on and off stage moving props ect. The three scenes we chose where: In the hospital Where Mrs Johnstone has just had the two boys and Mrs Lyons takes one of them. Â  When Mickey is arrested. Mickey is told by Mrs Lyons about Linda and Edward. These scenes are essential because if these scenes didnt occur then the whole plot would never have happened. These scenes affect the main characters and are what the novel is about. The First scene: The scene begins with Mrs Johnstone holding her new born children, talking to a nurse that comes in this builds up. Mrs Lyons enters and takes one of the twin boys. If this scene didnt happen then the two boys would never had been separated and Mickey would never have been arrested and suffered from his depression. This scene is what makes the story and without it the story would have never happened and also the final scene which two is quite important. The second scene: This is the beginning of Mickeys reason for depression. The scene starts with Mickey and Sam committing a robbery and Mickey is arrested. He becomes mentally ill and is unable to do things for himself. He becomes addicted to his anti-depression tablets. After all this Linda cant cope and turns to Edward whom both seem to get very close, Mickey learns of this and the build up of the final scene. With out this scene the final scene would not have happened. The final scene: This scene is where Mrs Lyons tells Mickey of Linda and Edwardss betrayal, at first Mickey doesnt believe it but Mrs Lyons takes it a step further and proves it. This is a twist because in the play you see Mrs Lyons feelings towards her son and you think that they have a strong bond and a good mother and son relationship. But from this scene you can clearly see theres some kind of jealousy. Mickey cant take anymore and has suffered enough already so he takes the gun which the robbery had been committed and heads for the court room. This is where the final scene takes place. This is an extremely important because this is the final scene without this scene; the ending to the play would not be so effective because of what Mrs Lyons and Mrs Johnstone where discussing about. The ending to the play is all to do with superstition. In this exercise we looked at the issues of unemployment, prison, betrayal, drug addiction and gun crime. These are just some of the things that the character of Mickey has to go through in the play nut in the role-plays/ narration we wanted to show the stories from the other peoples perspective. Unemployment: I learnt that by not having qualifications it is not so easy to get a job. Also as an individual I saw that people arent so sociable and forthcoming when it comes to jobs and unemployment, when acting this out the woman at the job centre was prejudice against them, she was very rude and conceited. If I was that person looking for a job, I would be very depressed and feel very useless because of the little options I had. In the play Mickey should show his depression through his body language, he should be walking backwards and forwards to show hes thinking and nervous. By doing a lot of movement shows thought and frustration. Always putting his hand on his face and leaning on things to show he needs support. His tone of voice should be slow to show depression. Prison: I learnt that most of the people that are in prison are all working class or lower class people. By this I could see that these people turn to crime in a desperate attempt to have some money, or to have some kind of food or clothing. Once the prisoner is let free they have a much lesser chance of earning money and the whole thing is just repeated. If I was the child of my mother and Father I know that they would feel embarrassed and ashamed of me and so I wouldnt be able to face them. I think that I would ashamed to. In this situation Mickey should feels scared and frightened and helpless. He would do this thought facial expressions, looking around a lot and perhaps crying too. Betrayal: In the play theres a number of times where Mickey is be trade. By this I learnt that betrayal is mostly lying and doing things behind peoples backs. In the play Mickey is be trade by Linda and Edward, and by his mother. If someone was betraying me I would feel very hurt and angry, I think I would also shout a lot. Mickeys movement and gestures would be very big and exaggerated. He should show his anger through facial expressions and movement. Drug addiction: I could see how easy drug addiction is. It revolves a lot around your past and comes from the issues Im talking about (unemployment, prison, betrayal, gun crime). Most people turn to drugs because they have nothing else to turn to and this also can be done through pier pressure. If I was a family member I would do all I can to help them through this. Mickeys movement should be slow, and not much movement at all. He should be still and day dream a lot. Gun Crime: From this I learnt that crime was committed by mostly males who where unable to cope and had money problems, they where also teens, and young adults and some middle aged. And a lot of the time the crime would be committed where there was a store of money. If I was the mother of my child who had committed a crime I would be irritated, and express myself through my tone I would do a lot of shouting too. I would feel that it was my fault in the way I had brought up my child. Mickey should be very nervous and walk around a lot, he should speak quickly and be very helpless and his voice should be slurred. I think blood brothers is a tragic comedy according to the definitions. I feel that it is a tragic comedy because both aspects exist. Theres a lot of comedy in the play like when the class room scene happens. Edward is very superior and the way he back chats the teacher is shocking yet amusing. Even though in Mickeys scene there lower class they still didnt dare swear at the teacher and the only thing Linda can come out with is you big worm. Also the scene where Mickey and Edward meet for the first time. There both very curious and the way they deal with it is funny. Even though their physical difference is very clear theres a lot that they dont realise they have in common they contrast greatly. The tragedy more or less comes at the end. And by the play being a tragic comedy is much more realistic and enjoyable to watch.

Romantic relationships and academic grade point average

Romantic relationships and academic grade point average This study will be conducted to investigate whether or not there is an association between involvement in a romantic relationship and academic grade point average (GPA) amongst pharmacy students. METHODS: Pharmacy students in their first, second, and third professional years of the traditional Doctor of Pharmacy program at Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy in Winchester, Virginia will be utilized as subjects for the study. Fourth-year and non-traditional students will be excluded from participation due to limited or no accessibility. By way of convenience sampling, approximately 355 students from the Winchester and Ashburn campuses of the school of pharmacy will be administered a survey at the end of the spring semester. Only students who are present and in class on the day the survey is administered will participate. Based on their responses to the third survey question concerning current romantic relationship and corresponding living status, the students will be separated into groups ranked from least involved to most involved with respect to current romantic relationship status; these groups will be designated single, casual partner, serious partner, and married. After all students have been placed into a group, their GPAs will be analyzed and compared to examine if there exists a correlation between involvement in varying levels of romantic relationships and pharmacy school GPA. We hypothesize that involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on GPA. RESULTS: N/A. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that involvement in a romantic relationship affects pharmacy school GPA. Students who will be or are currently enrolled in a graduate program can use the information from this study to make decisions concerning involvement in romantic relationships and extracurricular commitments. Introduction While there have been many studies on the effect of academic grade point average (GPA) (given a wide range of variables), it is unknown, up to this point, if relationship status affects GPA, and if so, how it affects GPA (positively or negatively). The rationale for this research project is that there have been no previous studies on GPA and relationship status for graduate students currently enrolled in pharmacy school. While limited research has been conducted on GPA and relationship status, there was more focus on adolescents (high school students). Previous limited studies performed on pharmacy students include variables such as test anxiety, time management, test competence, academic competence, and study techniques. The scope of this research project is to study the effects of relationship status on GPA for graduate students in pharmacy school. As a result, the same study can be performed on any graduate school program, not just pharmacy, using the same survey questionnaire. We hypothesize that involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on GPA. Relationship status, in this study, is defined as any one of the following: single; casual partner; serious partner; married. Being in a relationship is defined as all of the latter except: single. Other variables considered in this project (gender, age, year of study, hours dedicated to studying per week, importance of GPA, and hours worked and/or volunteered per week) are needed and help to isolate the effects of relationship status on GPA. While the primary concern of this study is to evaluate if romantic relationship status has any effect on the GPA of students in pharmacy school, it may also be extended to discover if there is a positive or negative effect on GPA dependent on relationship status. If there is no significant difference between relationship status and GPA, then perhaps data collected on other variables might explain a difference. Literature Review Our study is conducted to determine how varying levels of involvement in romantic relationships affect the academic GPA of pharmacy students. There have been many studies that examined the relationship between dating and the GPA of students. Many of the studies were conducted using high school and undergraduate college students. One study was conducted by Phuong T. Pham (2002) at Loyola University. Effects of Romantic Relationships on Academic Performance in College, examined the relationship between dating and academic performance in college. Pham hypothesized that dating while in an undergraduate program would result in a lower GPA. A survey was conducted at Loyola University and after analyzing the results, it was concluded that there was no correlation between academic performance and dating. A similar study was conducted by Matthew E. Kopfler (2003) at Loyola University that looked at the effects of romantic relationships on academic performance of undergraduate students. The hypothesis of the study was that students involved in romantic relationships would not perform academically as well as those who were not involved in romantic relationships. The study was conducted by surveying 75 Loyola undergraduate college students. After collecting the surveys and analyzing the results, Kopfler concluded that there was no impact on GPA if a student was involved in a romantic relationship. Factors that Affect Academic Performance Among Pharmacy Students was a study conducted by Sansgiry, Bhosle, and Sail. This study looked at different factors that might have an impact on the GPA of pharmacy students. Sansgiry et al. used a questionnaire to evaluate factors such as test anxiety, time management, test competence, academic competence, and study techniques and their impact on GPA. This is a very important question to ask since GPA is used as an indicator of academic performance. Most colleges and universities set a minimal GPA that student applicants must meet in order to be considered for admittance into the school. Their study concluded that test competence was an important factor in distinguishing students who will perform well academically from those who will perform poorly. Other factors that include academic competence, test competence, test anxiety, and time management improve as the student advances through the pharmacy curriculum. The two studies conducted at Loyola University derived similar conclusions, that is: the academic performance of undergraduate college students were not affected by involvement in romantic relationships. Our study advances the focus further by investigating how academic performance, as measured by GPA, is affected by involvement in romantic relationships while enrolled in a graduate college program. The study conducted by Sanger et al. is important because it looked at time management and its effect on the GPA of pharmacy students. It was concluded from this study that time management does not have an impact on GPA. Time management was defined as clusters of behavioral skill sets that are important in the organization of study/course load. Time management includes planning in advance, prioritizing work, test preparation, and following schedules. In our study, we will correlate time management with respect to relationship status by examining the amount of time spent with a partner com pared to studying academic material and evaluate if this impacts the GPA of graduate college students. Methodology Participants Second-year Doctor of Pharmacy (PharmD) students from Shenandoah University Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy in Winchester, Virginia (VA) conducted a research study to determine if there exists a link between involvement in romantic relationships of pharmacy school students and their academic GPA. GPA will be the dependent variable of this study and thus the focus of the research. The GPA will subsequently be analyzed and compared with involvement in romantic relationships. Involvement in pharmaceutical organizations, volunteer work, and weekly part-time work will also be considered as future research factors that may have an impact on GPA. The data for the project was gathered at the two separate campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. The survey was administered at the main campus in Winchester, VA as well as the satellite campus in Ashburn, VA. A survey was selected to be the method of choice to obtain data because of its relative low cost of manufacturing and ease o f administration. Sampling The population under consideration in this study includes all traditional PharmD students who are currently enrolled full-time. This does not include fourth-year and non-traditional students on clinical rotations. Our sample population will include all traditional PharmD students at the Winchester and Ashburn campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy who agreed to fill-out and complete a survey questionnaire within a 10 day period. The researchers agreed that a limit of 10 days is a sufficient length of time to provide for appropriate completion of the survey questionnaires and for adequate collection of responses. The sample will be gathered through a convenience sampling method and will therefore be given to participants present on the day selected by the researchers to administer the survey. Because a control group will not be utilized in this study, convenience sampling is the easiest and most effective method to gather participants. The researchers plan to administer th e survey to approximately 355 participants across the two campuses of the Bernard J. Dunn School of Pharmacy. Before data is collected, the researchers will obtain approval for the research study from the Human Subjects Review Board at Shenandoah University. This board is the equivalent of an Institutional Review Board. The confidentiality of participants will be ensured for this study as no indentifying information will be collected. Research Design Data will be collected through the use of a survey questionnaire. The survey consists of eight questions designed to gather information about students GPA and their involvement in romantic relationships. The survey was created by the researchers and was designed to allow for quick and easy completion. The survey was administered to the students at the end of the spring semester by the researchers. Administration of the survey at end of the spring semester was chosen in order to allow for the inclusion of first-year students, who by then already received their fall semester grades, in the study. Each survey questionnaire contains the same questions and can be administered without any prior training of the student participant. Each survey question was designed to be a test item for the research study. The survey is attached as an appendix. The first, second, and fifth questions are used to attain demographic information. Gender, age, and year in professional school can all be used as adjuncts in evaluation of the data. The third question is the first critical test item of the study. It inquires into the current relationship and corresponding living status of the survey respondent. This question is intended to be a test item that would group students into categories ranging from least involved to most involved as relating to romantic relationship involvement. Each category was based upon the following answer choices: 1. Single 2. Casual partner 3. Serious partner 4. Married An answer of the respondent to this question is the independent variable and therefore the prime factor for comparison against GPA. Using responses to this question, the researchers will place student participants in their designated groups, compute and compare the average GPAs for each group, and evaluate for any variances in GPA amongst groups. The fourth question was used as a tool to gather information about the dependent variable, student GPA. The researchers decided to use five ranges for the GPA. This will allow for easier collection and grouping of data in a manner that will facilitate efficiency of management and analysis. The sixth, seventh, and eighth questions were placed in the survey to gather additional data about the extracurricular activities of student participants. These responses will be collected and appropriately managed. The data will not be analyzed in this study but will be made available for future research studies. The seventh question was based on a Likert Scale and can be used to evaluate whether or not the motivation of a respondent has an effect on their GPA. Data Collection Our method of collecting data is through a survey. The entire sample population will be asked to complete the same survey within a 10-day period. We have increased the reliability of our study in two ways. The first is by asking all of the participants to complete the same survey. This increases the consistency of the study. The second is by making the survey questions concise and straightforward so that each can be interpreted and understood the same by all respondents. This is critical because all respondents are asked the same questions, and therefore, it is necessary to achieve similar interpretation among respondents. It is important to have reliability because without reliability a study cannot have validity. Reliability is required in order to assess the validity of the measurement instrument. We have established that our study has reliability. We must now determine if it has internal validity. Internal validity is very important in our study because it shows that our survey correctly assessed the effects of involvement in romantic relationships on the academic GPA of pharmacy students. Our study is based on a two-group after only model, and therefore, many of the threats to internal validity do not apply. The history threat does not apply because we do not ask questions regarding past events that might have altered the GPA of a pharmacy student. For example, a student may have a lower GPA than normal because a traumatic event happened right before a big exam. Many of the other threats to internal validity cannot occur in our study because of our study design. Therefore, the internal validity of our study is further substantiated. Only complete survey questionnaires will be included in this study. If all eight survey questions are not answered, that particular survey questionnaire will be thrown out. Data Analysis The pooled variance t-Test will be used because of the two populations (single and in a relationship), as well as the comparison between two means (mean GPA of students who are single and mean GPA of students who answered as being in a relationship). Data will be collected using the eight question survey discussed previously and will be coded and analyzed using the Statistical Package for the Social Scientists (SPSS) program. The data will be coded corresponding to the answers circled by each participant (for example, if a participant circled the number 1 for the question What is your gender, that would correspond to male and the number 1 would be entered under the gender category for our SPSS data sheet; if they circled a 3 for the question What is your current age range, that answer would correspond to 25 29 and a number 3 would be entered under the age category for our data sheet). All of the data will be entered manually by one person and every fifth entry will be checked agains t that particular survey by a research assistant. Having all data entered into SPSS allows for easy comparison of different factors on GPA, including testing the study hypothesis. The first test performed on the data will be to evaluate the average GPA for respondents of all romantic relationship status groups except the single group. This average GPA will then be compared to the average GPA of those students who fall into the single group. The mean value of GPA for all students who completed a survey questionnaire will also be computed. An alpha level of 0.05 will be set. Our objective is to discover any significant variances in GPA of those who are in romantic relationships versus those who are single. If our P value is less than 0.05 (our alpha value) then there is a significant difference in the mean GPA values for those who are in romantic relationships versus those who are single. In this case, we will reject our null hypothesis: involvement in a romantic relationship will have an effect on academic GPA. Accordingly, we will examine significant differences in GPA to see whether there exists a positive or negative correlation to involvement in romantic re lationships as opposed to being single. We will also break down the relationship categories to compare and determine if there are any significant differences between the average GPA of each group. For example, analysis will be performed to see if there is a significant difference in GPA between students in serious partner relationships versus those in married relationships. Discussion The null hypothesis of the study states that there is no effect regarding involvement of romantic relationship on GPA. If the resulting P value is greater than or equal to our alpha value of 0.05, we would fail to reject the null hypothesis. Therefore, the projected outcome of the study is that there is no effect on involvement in a romantic relationship and GPA. However, if the resulted P value is less than our alpha value of 0.05, then we would reject the null hypothesis. In the latter case, the result would be that there is an effect regarding involvement of romantic relationship on GPA. The main reason for this study is to see if being in a relationship has an effect on GPA for graduate students. As noted earlier, no study has been done on graduate students in terms of relationships and GPA. While a few studies have been done in the past on relationship status and GPA, the studies were conducted on adolescent (high school age) students. It was agreed by all of the researches of this graduate student study that there is quite a big difference between the types of relationships in high school versus graduate school, as well as the courses, course load, and expectations of each student. Quite frankly, there really is no comparison between the two (high school versus graduate school). While this particular study was done on pharmacy school students, the exact same study can be done to any graduate school program, not just pharmacy. The eight questions in the survey are not specific to pharmacy or any other program and, although we are only concerned with relationship st atus (our independent variable) and GPA (our dependent variable), we also asked a series of other independent variable questions. Further tests and comparisons can be made with the other independent variables collected on the survey questionnaire. This is especially helpful if there is no correlation or significant difference between GPA and relationship status. The other independent variables might be able to explain some of the differences between GPA other than relationship status (for instance, if a student works or volunteers regardless of relationship status perhaps some work has no effect but working full time while in graduate school has an effect on GPA). How many of the additional questions to use in the analysis of the GPA versus relationship status is up to the evaluators of this study. Limitations Results from this study should be interpreted with several limitations in mind. First, the study is limited in sample size because only the first through third year students at one pharmacy school were used as subjects for the survey. This small population would inhibit and prevent the generalization of results and findings from the study to other schools of pharmacy. A second limitation of the study is the narrow focus on pharmacy students. This restricts generalizations of study findings and results to other graduate and professional programs (e.g. medicine, law), undergraduate curriculums, and vocational programs. Another study limitation is the use of different levels of pharmacy students: first-year, second-year, and third-year students. This limitation may skew results due to the differences in the degree of difficulty between the distinct years of professional pharmacy study, and this can have an impact on GPA. Generally, the first year curriculum is less difficult and demanding than the second year curriculum, and the second year curriculum is less difficult and demanding than the third year curriculum. Moreover, the difference in the cumulative amount of classes students have completed between their first, second, and third years in pharmacy school can also impact their overall academic GPA. The results of just one semester of completed classes can be skewed and are more volatile to GPA shifts in the next semester than a student who has completed three years of classes. Furthermore, there may be other factors influencing GPA for first year students that the survey does not account for. T his study limitation may discount external factors such as moving to a new city and or state, starting at a new school, making new friends, finding suitable housing, and even living away from their family for the first time. The study does not take into consideration if a person was in a relationship at some point during graduate school and now is not, and vice-versa. The survey questionnaire only seeks information regarding current romantic relationship status. It can be assumed for those who selected married that they have either been married for the duration of graduate school or were in another of the relationship categories and then got married. This aspect points out that people do not get married without first being casual and/or serious partners. For those in a casual partner relationship, one may wonder how long they have been in the relationship. For some third year students, perhaps they have finally taken on relationships because they feel comfortable with their GPA and school to take on more responsibility. For a first year student, classes and program demands are perhaps still not difficult. This suggests they still can have a romantic relationship without significant effects on GPA. Although the survey questionnaire is completely confidential, some students might find a need to over-inflate their GPA. Instead of asking for them to fill in their actual GPA, ranges were provided in the hopes of keeping over-inflation of GPA to a minimum. However, over reporting of GPA can still exist. Conclusions It is the hope of the evaluators that this study will shed some light on trends in GPA and what exactly affects it in order to help and inform incoming graduate students. With this information and correlations (or no correlation), graduate students will be able to make educated choices in terms of relationships and possibly other aspects outside of the classroom as well (for instance, how much time to work without having an effect on GPA). The results of this study should answer some of the myths of graduate school and having a life at the same time.

Effects of Caffeine on the Brain

Effects of Caffeine on the Brain Literature Review:  Effects of water on the body. 2.0.1 Energy level. In order to increase energy level, the human body has to be kept hydrated constantly. The human brain is mostly made up of water hence it is of utmost importance that we keep our brain hydrated to obtain maximum productivity and alertness (Simonds,N.D). A well hydrated body will create higher amounts of oxygen levels present in the body, which will provide us with more energy. The increased energy levels will make a person more alert and even lift their mood (Bernstein, 2012). Even if the level of water in the body is at least one percent below the optimal water level, the person will feel fatigue (Chasey,N.D). 2.0.2 Effects of drinking water on the brain Water provides the brain with electrical energy in order for all the functions of the brain to be carried out, which includes thought and memory processes. It has also been proven to help a person â€Å"be more focused, has the ability to experience greater clarity creativity and think faster† (Bailey, 2013). A study was carried out on participants who drank three cups of water which was 24 ounces, or 775 milliliters. After taking a battery of cognitive tests, the participants who drank water performed better on a test that measured reaction time compared with those who did not drink water. The researchers contemplated that the thirst sensation of the participants may have taken some attention away from their task at hand, resulting in a slower response time (Rettner, 2013). However, in another study, water consumption did not affect the results on other tests of cognition much, such as memory of words (Rettner, 2013). 2.1  Effects of Caffeine on the Brain 2.1.1  Alertness Adenosine is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter in our brain. Adenosine is produced as long as we are awake as our brain has neurons. These neurons are specialised cells that transmit nerve impulses from one neuron to another in order for us to carry out daily activities. Adenosine is a by product of the functioning neuron. The Adenosine produced will then bind to adenosine receptors which is a method used by our body to detect the amount of adenosine in our body. When the amount of adenosine in our body reaches a certain amount, the information will be sent to our brain or spinal cord causing us to feel tired. Caffeine, like the Adenosine, also binds to the Adenosine Receptors. Compared to adenosine molecules, Caffeine molecules have the capability to bind faster to adenosine receptors. As such, when the Caffeine molecules are binded before the Adenosine molecules, the Caffeine molecules blocks the Adenosine Receptors from causing any effects of tiredness or sleepiness in our body (Goodwin, 2013). Figure 2.1: In the brain Caffeine (C) binds faster to adenosine receptors. Adenosine (A), which is a natural sedative, will be prevented from attaching itself therefore, causing alertness. 2.1.2  Adrenaline Since caffeine prevents the adenosine from binding with the adenosine receptor, uncontrolled neuron activation will occur (N.A, 2009). This will cause the pituitary gland to release a certain hormone into the bloodstream which will affect the adrenal glands to produce adrenaline which is a â€Å"flight or fright† hormone (Veracity, 2005). The flight or fright hormone is our body’s way to prepare ourselves to â€Å"fight† or â€Å"flee† in situations that make us feel as if we are under attack, threatened or harmed the response produced is primitive, automatic and an innate (Neimark, N.D).Adrenaline will also cause an increase in muscle tension, blood pressure, respiration, heart rate, metabolism, mental alertness, emotional and a decrease in digestion, sex hormones, mental creativity, emotional stability will be decreased (Bay, N.D) 2.2  Importance of taking caffeine in moderation 2.2.1  Caffeine Tolerance Tolerance is the reduced stimulus towards a drug, which will occur when the drug is repeatedly used until the body has adapted to its presence (Hussar, 2013). Therefore a higher dose of drugs will be needed to achieve the same outcome achieved initially (NIH, 2007). Since caffeine is a drug, too much intake of it will cause us to be tolerant to it. This is due to the gradual creation of adenosine receptors by the brain cells to re-balance the adenosine receptors that have been blocked by caffeine molecules (Stromberg,2013). Eventually more adenosine receptors will be produced, causing the need of more caffeine molecules to block the extra adenosine receptors created in order to achieve the same effect that was intended (Stromberg,2013). Off and on, drinkers require little amounts of caffeine for optimal performance during cognitive tasks while habitual drinkers require a higher dosage of caffeine to achieve the same effect (Papadeli, Papadelis, Louizos, Tziampiri, 2002). 2.2.2  Effect of drinking caffeine near bed time For a regular drinker the ingestion of caffeine will not affect much but if a person is not a regular drinker he or she may find it difficult to fall asleep (Keeffe, 2011). These problems usually arise during the digestion of caffeine in the body. Caffeine will be mainly digested in the liver by a liver enzyme to produce Theophylline, Theobromine, and Paraxanthine separately (Gabriel, 2000). Paraxanthine molecule has almost the same structure and effect as caffeine on the brain (Gabriel, 2000). If the intake of caffeine increases, the amount of caffeine and Paraxanthine that will be accumulated in the body will also increase (Keeffe, 2011). Adenosine that has been produced in the body can only be removed through sleep. Therefore insufficient sleep will cause tiredness and unproductivity throughout the following day which will lead to another cup of coffee to overcome that tiredness. The more caffeine ingested, the more adenosine and caffeine molecules will be accumulated in the body by night. The half life of one dosage of caffeine is 3-7 hours but if more caffeine is accumulated in our body the half life of caffeine can increase from 11-96 hours or even days (Keeffe, 2011). 2.2.3  Effects of high doses of caffeine on cognition. It is important to take caffeine in moderation which is about 200 to 300 mg per day (Rivers, 2012). If caffeine is taken in excess which is more than 500 to 600 mg it will disturb our body systems as caffeine is a drug that can cause our adrenal glands to release adrenaline. Therefore, a person may suffer from insomnia, nervousness, restlessness, irritability, upset stomach, fast heartbeat and muscle tremors if adrenaline is released in excess in a person’s body (Mayo Clinic, 2014). The more severe symptoms of caffeine overdose is trouble of breathing, vomiting, hallucinations, confusion, chest pain, irregular or fast heartbeat and uncontrollable muscle movements, convulsions (Rivers, 2012). Caffeine will also block our adenosine receptors therefore too much caffeine will result in sleep deprivation. A normal person needs about 7 to 8 hours of sleep. Sleep deprivation is caused by the disruption in the sleep cycles which may eventually cause to the feeling of tiredness, moody and depression. Sleep deprivation will also disrupt a person’s performance and alertness during the day (Mayo Clinic, 2014). 2.2.4  Effect’s of low doses of caffeine on cognition. A study was once done to study the effects of low doses of caffeine on cognition of 11 males and 12 females aged between 18 and 56. The respondents were either given 0, 12.5, 25, 50 or 100 mg of caffeine. Their performance was tested by using a test battery that consisted of a long duration simple reaction time test, a rapid visual information processing task and a mood questionnaire. All the doses of the caffeine had influenced cognitive performance, there were minimal differences between the dosage size. The effects of caffeine were more obvious in those that were regular caffeine consumers. After a night without caffeine, the participants cognitive performance, mood and thirst has been affected even at doses same as and even lesser than the amounts of caffeine contained in a single serving of beverages containing caffeine (Smit, Rogers, 2000). 2.3  Effect of caffeine on Memory 2.3.1  Information processing model processes memory The Information Processing Theory assumes that human memory is formed in the same way that a computer processes information. There are 3 stages of memory which are sensory memory, short-term memory, and long-term memory (Cherry, N.D).. A computer receives information from external devices codes information followed by storing the information into its memory and uses the information to produce an output (McLeod, 2008). In humans, memory is formed by the input device called the sensory register, which consist of our five senses namely taste, touch, sight, hearing and smell that enables us to receive information from our surroundings. The information received by our sensory memory will then undergo selective attention and the selected memory will be stored into our short term memory. Short term memory information that has been selected will be held temporarily so that it can be used, removed or transferred into our long term memory. Information that is stored in the long term memory can be stored for a very long time. 2.3.2  Short term memory and working memory Short term memory and working memory are often used interchangeably (Posit Science, 2015). The ability to store information temporarily for immediate retrieval and removal is short term memory, while working memory is the processing of information stored in the short term memory for manipulation (Examined existence, N.D). Information that has undergone selective attentionduring sensory memory will be generated in the short term memory (Cherry, N.D). The function of Short-term memory is to choose, launch and discontinue information-processing functions which consist of encoding, storing and retrieving data to and from the long term memory (Medicine.net, 2013). Short term memory has limited capacity and can only store about seven plus minus 2 items and it also has limited duration as it is very fragile and can be lost whenever there are distractions (Mc Leod, 2009). 2.3.3  The magic number seven plus and minus two Miller discovered in 1956 that an average adult can store about seven plus minus two items in their short term memory (Bilash, 2011). If information is chunked together, we will be able to store more information (Mc Leod, 2009). 2.4  Short term memory test 2.4.1  MAS The Memory Assessment Scale has three areas of cognitive function MAS is a comprehensive battery that has the ability to assesses a person’s short-term, verbal and visual memory functioning. In order to assess memory, this battery has 12 subtest that are based on the 7 memory task which are Verbal Span, List Learning, Prose memory, Visual Span, Visual Recognition, Visual Reproduction and Names-Faces. The â€Å"verbal span test† is a test whereby a series of numbers will be read forward and backwards to the participants slowly beginning with 2 numbers to 3 numbers to 4 numbers up till 9 numbers, participants are then required to repeat the numbers said by the examiner in the correct order. 2.4.2  Wechsler Memory Scale A set of numbers will be announced through headphones to the participants at the rate of 1 word per second. Digits are chosen at random without repetition up to of 9 digits (when participants has a gone more than 9 numbers single digit will be doubled). The successive digits cannot occur in ascending or descending order with equal step sizes. A notification will be shown to alert the participants after the final digit at an interval of 1.0 s, so that the participants will know when to repeat the sequence said. The digit sequence was shown on the examiners monitor during its list presentation and the response of the participants were analysed by the examiner using the computer keyboard. The participant is then told to repeat the numbers that were shown or read to them. 2.4.3 Digit span test A list of numbers are shown or read out to the participants. This process is continued until the participant cannot remember either the full sequence of numbers or the correct order of numbers. In the reverse trial of the Digit Span a series of numbers will be read to the participant and the participant will be asked to repeat the number sequence that was said by the examiner in the reverse order. This sequence of number is continued until the participant makes an error. Participants are given two chances for each sequence of number because both forward and reverse trials are given twice. The score of the Digit Span test is calculated by adding the total number of correct sequences, backwards and forwards. This test is also scored differently for a range of ages. For an adult to score an average score is about six numbers both backwards and forwards. While above average is anything over seven. Because of time limits, the computerized version of this test will only be able to measure the participant’s ability to repeat back a number sequence in the forward order. The 15 minute time limit should not greatly affect the results. An accurate result will be obtained and the participant’s working memory can be viewed (Mendez,N.D). References Maryann Gromisch, 2014, Stimulant Effects of Caffeine, Retrieved from the world Wide Web on 13th April 2015 from http://www.livestrong.com/article/266388-stimulant-effects-of-caffeine/ Dani Veracity, Tuesday, October 11, 2005, The hidden dangers of caffeine: How coffee causes exhaustion, fatigue and addiction, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 15th April 2015 from http://www.naturalnews.com/012352_caffeine_coffee.html# HowStuffWorks.com, Why does caffeine keep you awake? Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 21 January 2009. 9th April 2015, http://health.howstuffworks.com/wellness/drugs-alcohol/caffeine-awake.htm Eli Bay, N.D, THE STRESS REACTION: FLIGHT OR FIGHT, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 7th April 2015 from http://www.elibay.com/understanding-stress.html Daniel A. Hussar, 2013, Tolerance and Resistance to Drugs, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 7th April 2015, from http://www.merckmanuals.com/home/drugs/factors_affecting_response_to_drugs/tolerance_and_resistance_to_drugs.html NIH ,2007, The Neurobiology of Drug Addiction, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 10th April 2015 from http://www.drugabuse.gov/publications/teaching-packets/neurobiology-drug-addiction/section-iii-action-heroin-morphine/6-definition-tolerance Joseph Stromberg, 2013, This Is How Your Brain Becomes Addicted to Caffeine, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 18th April 2015 from http://www.smithsonianmag.com/science-nature/this-is-how-your-brain-becomes-addicted-to-caffeine-26861037/?no-ist Karyn OKeeffe, March 2011, Caffeine affects your sleep. No ifs, no buts. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 18th April 2015 from http://sciblogs.co.nz/sleep-on-it/2011/03/11/caffeine-affects-your-sleep-no-ifs-no-buts/ Gerald Gabriel, 26 August 2000, The Drug of Choice: Caffeine and the Brain, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 5th May 2015 from http://brainconnection.brainhq.com/2000/08/26/the-drug-of-choice-caffeine-and-the-brain/ Travis Bradberry, 21st August 2012, Caffeine: The Silent Killer of Emotional Intelligence. Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 7th May 2015 http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbradberry/2012/08/21/caffeine-the-silent-killer-of-emotional-intelligence/ McLeod, S. A., 2009, Short Term Memory, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 9th May 2015 from http://www.simplypsychology.org/short-term-memory.html Kendra Cherry, N.D, What Is Memory?, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 11th May 2015 from http://psychology.about.com/od/cognitivepsychology/a/memory.htm Sandy McAlpine, Coffee consumption can improve alertness concentration, viewed on 11th May 2015, http://www.coffeeassoc.com/contact-us/coffee-consumption-can-improve-alertness-concentration/> Kim Ann Zimmermann, January 28th 2014 , What is Short-Term Memory Loss?, Retrieved from the world Wide Web on 13th May2015 from, http://www.livescience.com/42891-short-term-memory-loss.html Medicine.net, 28th August 2013, Definition of Short-term memory, Retrieved from the world Wide Web on 16thMay 2015, from, http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=7142 Posit Science, 2015, Short-Term Memory, viewed 17th May 2015, Retrieved from the world Wide Web on 16th May 2015 from, http://www.brainhq.com/brain-resources/memory/types-of-memory/short-term-memory Examined existence, N.D, Difference Between Short-Term, Long-Term, and Working Memory, Retrieved from the world Wide Web on 17th May2015, from http://examinedexistence.com/difference-between-short-term-long-term-and-working-memory/ Olenka Bilash, 2011, Millers Magical Number, Retrieved from the world Wide Web on 17thMay2015, from http://www.educ.ualberta.ca/staff/olenka.bilash/best%20of%20bilash/miller.html Chrysoula Kourtidou-Papadeli, Christos Papadelis, Alexandros-Louizos Louizos, * a Olympia Guiba-Tziampiri. 2002. Maximum cognitive performance and physiological time trend measurements after caffeine intake. Cognitive brain research, 13(3),pp407-15. Mayo clinic staff, 14th April2014, Caffeine: How much is too much?, Mayo clinic,viewed 19th May 2015,http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678?pg=1> Mayo clinic staff, 14th April2014, Caffeine: How much is too much?, Mayo clinic,viewed 19th May 2015,http://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/caffeine/art-20045678?pg=2> Autumn Rivers, 16th July 2012, Caffeine Overdose, Healthline, viewed on 19thMay 2015, http://www.healthline.com/health/caffeine-overdose#Overview1> Smit, H.J Rogers, P.J.2000.Effects of low doses of caffeine on cognitive performance, mood and thirst in low and higher caffeine consumers. Psychopharmacology,152,167-173. Neil F. Neimark, M.D.,N.D,5 Minute Stress Mastery, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 1st June 2015 from http://www.thebodysoulconnection.com/EducationCenter/fight.html David Schardt, December 2012, Caffeine!, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 1st June 2015 from http://www.cspinet.org/nah/articles/caffeine.html Seth Simonds, N.D, 7 Caffeine-Free Ways to Increase Alertness, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 2nd June 2015 from http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/7-caffeine-free-ways-to-increase-alertness.html Katie Chasey, N.D, 8 NATURAL WAYS TO FUEL YOUR ENERGY LEVEL THROUGH THE DAY, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 2nd June 2015 from http://breakingmuscle.com/health-medicine/8-natural-ways-to-fuel-your-energy-level-through-the-day Chris Bailey, 6th June 2013, 9 brain foods that will improve your focus and concentration, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 2nd June 2015 from http://alifeofproductivity.com/9-brain-foods-that-will-boost-your-ability-to-focus/ Rachael Rettner, 16th July 2013, Drinking Water May Provide Mental Boost, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 2nd June 2015 from http://www.livescience.com/38212-drinking-water-mental-performance.html   Becky Bernstein, 10th June 2015, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 2nd June 2015 from http://relaj.com/good-hydration/2012/06/feeling-tired-drink-water-to-energize-your-mind-and-body/ Leonardo Mendez, Joseph Dougherty, Marissa Martinez, Brendan Griffin and Greg Lemay, N.D, Retrieved from the World Wide Web on 2nd June 2015 from http://www.anselm.edu/internet/compsci/faculty_staff/mmalita/HOMEPAGE/ProjectPsychWEB/lmendez/Project/index.html